What if movie theaters go extinct?

Heavy buckets of buttery popcorn with a healthy dose of cola are the only elements between moviegoers. Nevermind the outrageous prices or long lines, the movie is about to start. We’re willing to spend an evening touching elbows, sometimes with complete strangers, for a big screen treat that can’t be replicated. This experience shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Films are artistic mainstays because they paint a portrait through motion pictures to evoke our most personal feelings. Audiences cry, smile, hoot and holler for any given story worth the time, even if the movie is pure fiction. Movie theaters are the catalyst for nostalgia. I love films because of the stories. The euphoria is maximized when I watch a movie unfold for the very first time on screen.

Midnight screenings are truly special for moviegoers. The theater plays host to a massive audience anxiously anticipating the first scene of a summer blockbuster or big-budget Oscar flick. And I can’t think of any other event capable of mimicking that shared moment.

I depart the theater once the film wraps, and I’m treated to a flurry of reviews from other audience members on the way out. I’m not shy about picking apart movies with people I’ve never met. It’s an absolute thrill to do so, and that’s why film blogging is such a rewarding privilege. For these reasons above all, I can’t imagine a world without theaters.

Our society is once again in the midst of a technological revolution. Digital alarmists may sound the alarm for Armageddon, warning of Kindle and Twitter takeovers, but it simply boils down to adaptation, which is why I don’t have an issue with innovations for home theaters. Hollywood prides itself on connecting the world to a single phenomenon, such as Star Wars or The Dark Knight, and making movies more accessible to audiences can’t be construed as negative.

However, Hollywood’s recent string of announcements regarding new home theater technology suggests less of a facelift, and more of a reinvention. Now may be the time for movie fanatics to sound that alarm.

Several rumblings from Tinseltown in the past year have pointed to new ways for watching movies in the luxury of your own home. IFC Films started the trend with a contract through certain cable providers to show independent movies, which are currently in theaters, on pay-per-view. I can’t fault IFC for the bold move, considering the seismic downfall of indie movies in a tight economy.

There are plenty of positive outcomes for the new digital age of film, but we must question the costs of such an endeavor. The ability to watch a new movie instantly at home may have its perks, but at some point, moviegoers will yearn for the big screen. It’s a dilemma of dollars and cents for film distributors who have lost millions due to dropping attendance rates. (I personally believe poor movies are to blame, not the economy, but that’s for another day.)

Hollywood is expected to roll out new home theater options in the near future, and simply put, the experiment will be hit or miss. Imagine Keanu Reeves’ heroic bus rescue in Speed versus Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis’ plunge in Thelma and Louise. I wish Hollywood the best of luck, as long as theaters stay afloat.